The 73rd Hunger Games
by chatocato
Summary: This is my very own story about the hunger games, may the odds be ever in your favour
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**The Reaping**

I awoke with a start, I was having a terrible nightmare that I was being chased by Muttations that the Capitol had made. The Capitol is the huge city that rules over the twelve districts in Panem, we tried to rebel once, and that's why there were thirteen districts and now there are only twelve. To remind us that we are never to rebel again the Capitol hold a sick event called the Hunger Games, this is when two tributes between the age of twelve and eighteen from every district are selected and fight to the death in a massive arena, the games are never fair though the capitols pet districts are well trained and are always well fed, districts one, two and four show up to the games and just murder everyone, why wouldn't they? They have been trained to kill since the moment they were born. Getting selected in those districts is an honour, but here in district ten, it means you're funeral will be in a matter of days.

I don't even know why I think about the games, it always gets me on edge. I get out of bed and get dressed, the reaping isn't until two so I may as well do something until then, my family are the butchers in district ten, and seeing as our districts main productivity is livestock you would think that we would have a lot of meat to sell. Wrong. Most of the meat that is processed in district ten I sent to capitol immediately, leaving my family with very little to work with, but we scrape by. I walk into the kitchen and my father is there cutting some gammon for a customer, he looks up at me and says

"Ah Charlie, can you go charge Mrs Cooper for her four slices of gammon."

"Sure thing Dad." I say

I walk past him and into the serving area where all the fresh meat is on display, Mrs Cooper looks at me with her cataract littered eyes

"Is that you Charlie?" she asks with an unsure voice

"Yes it is Mrs Cooper, it will be four fifty for your slices of gammon." I say,

"Okay dearie I will give that to you know." She says.

She plunges her hand into her pocket and brings out an enormous amount of coins, this is the bright side of being in the hunger games, if you win like Annabel Cooper did twenty years ago, you are rich and famous until the day you die, then you become more famous for dying and your relatives are rich because all your money is left to them in your will.

"Here you go dearie." She says handing me the coins,

I put them into the cash register and give her the slices of gammon, she hobbles out, muttering to herself about how nice gammon is. I chuckle a she bends down and pets a mail box saying "Good dog" I got bored very quickly of serving customers so I grabbed my boots and went outside, my friends Alex and ben are waiting for me, Alex and Ben are twins and are constantly arguing.

"Good morning sleepy head." says Ben

"It's a national holiday, I deserve to sleep in." I say

"Need all your beauty sleep for the reaping?" teases Alex

"I was trying to get so much in so I could have enough for the both of us" I tease back

We all start walking towards the fence, when we are about ten inches away we stop and listen for the low vibrating hum, it's not there and rarely is, I guess the capitol doesn't care about us district ten citizens, once we are past the fence and a good two hundred metres into the wood the twins go and retrieve their bows, Alex and Ben are unbelievable at archery, they can shoot a bulls eye in almost complete darkness, as for me, I'm okay with a bow nothing special but when it comes the throwing knives, that's when my talents come into play, being a butchers son, I grew up with knives, so it was either know how to use them or lose all your fingers. I can kill any target with a minimum of one knife and a maximum of two, that's how good I am, I may not be the best at archery but when it comes to throwing knives, I am unbeatable.

We have a very successful morning, killing four wild dogs, two turkeys and three squirrels. We decide that we have enough meat and start looking for edible vegetation we sit underneath the old apple tree and have a lunch of apples,

"Happy Hunger Games everyone!" says Ben sarcastically.

"And may the odds," starts Alex.

"Be ever in your favour!" I finish.

We take twenty apples and put them in a sack which I throw over my shoulder and carry, it was already one o'clock so we decided it was time to go home, we split the game and the apples, two thirds for them and one third for me, they tricked me again they took all the apples, two wild dogs and a turkey, all I have is two wild dogs, a turkey, and three squirrels, which to be honest was more than the average district ten citizen has, I smile as I see my families butcher shop getting closer, if I walked through the door with all this game it my Dad would take a fit, he likes me coming through the back door so he can just skin the animals and either cook them or put them up for sale, I come through the back and put the game on the table next to my Dad, he grunts at me which basically means he is busy. I go upstairs undress and have a bath and let the water relax me, most people in district ten don't bother with baths, the water is never that warm, but I am not picky, it's warm enough for me, I look out the window which overlooks the square, it's ten to two! I rush out of the bath and get dried, I get dressed into a white shirt on the pair of black trousers I have for school, I roll up the sleeves because it's warm today and I would sweat like a pig if I didn't, I pause at my bedroom door and take a breath before I leave.

When I get to the square I file into my allocated slot with all the other thirteen year olds, I meet up with Alex and Ben.

"You guys nervous?" I ask.

"Yeah." Says Alex.

"Well no duh Sherlock!" replies Ben

Leave it to Ben to brighten the mood, our attention is quickly turned the woman with pink skin who is now walking across the stage, it's Trenise Deliberia, the Capitol official for our district, every year her skin is a different colour, and every year she annoys me more and more with her weird outfits and high-pitched capitol accent infected voice.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the seventy-third annual Hunger Games reaping, may the odds be ever in your Favour! In just a few moments I will select this years two tributes for the Hunger Games" She says

"Ladies First!" she titters,

She plunges her hand into the large bowl containing all the names of the girls in our district and takes out one, and walks slowly over to the microphone like she wants all of us to get more and more anxious as the time passes, she opens the note slowly and yells out,

"Sugar Clementine!"

I know her, her parents own the shoe shop across the square from my parents butcher shop, we were friends, and now she is going to die. Sugar walks up to the stage stiffly, with her face clear of all emotion, while Trenise plunges her hand into the boys reaping bowl, how could this day get any worse? When Trenise yells out

"Charlie Wright!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2.

The Very Scary Tributes

Sugar and I are rushed into the Justice building quickly. My mum and dad come into me and I say goodbye, it's odd I have never made an emotional connection with many people in district ten; Alex and Ben are my best friends so of course they mean something to me, but apart from that I don't normally make any emotional connection with anyone, sad, I know.

Trenise, rushes us into the limo, that will take us to the train.

"You're in for a real treat, goose-feather quilts, platinum doorknobs, it will be wonderful!" she exclaims

"Wouldn't want to be uncomfortable before our death" mumbles Sugar

I just sat there awkwardly, what were my chances? Not good ones, Sugar was like a secret career, she could throw spears just as well as I could throw knives, then there was the actual careers, who know what they have p their sleeves!

We get onto the train and Trenise gives us the grand tour, not forgetting the platinum doorknobs of course, this womans shallowness never ceases to amaze me.

"And this is the Television room, shall we watch a recap of all the reapings?" Titters Trenise.

We sit down and watch the reapings, all the tributes look menacing but only a few stick out in my head, Jamie, the boy from one, he was only twelve but that over-confident look and the way he seems to laugh evilly got me worried that he was very dangerous, both tributes from two caught my eye, Toby and Kata, Toby was huge, it was hard to believe he was only sixteen, he was bigger than Kata and she was seventeen! Again both the tributes from four stuck out, the boy who was reaped, Michael, wouldn't let anyone volunteer for him at all I thought there was an unwritten rule that district four only ever sent in sixteen year olds and above? He was only fifteen, and obviously the girl didn't pay attention to that rule either, Gintare, aged thirteen volunteered before the escort could read out the name on the slip! The girl from seven, Karsyn, seemed quite interesting, she seemed so helpless, I would almost help her, but I should really catch myself, she could be pulling a Johannah Mason after all! Then the last person to stick out in my mind was the girl from eleven, I don't know what is was, the way she moved, spoke, stood, you just couldn't help watching her.

"Well what do you think of your competition?" asks Trenise

"Charlie has none" mumbles Sugar

This compliment takes me completely by surprise, did she have _faith_ in me?

"None except for you" I reply.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The opening ceremonies

After the recap on the reapings is over Trenise sends us to our rooms, what did Sugar mean by her compliment? Did she actually think I could win? Well one things for sure, I don't intend on losing!

I wake up the next day early, I go to the breakfast cart, Trenise, Sugar, Gary and Belena are there, Gary and Belena are the mentors for district ten, they are completely useless at it, they both won by default, making it to the final three and letting the other two fight and when the last person was weak they would strike, not brave, not courageous, no they were something worse, far more dangerous, _smart. _I sit down and start to eat, the food here is gorgeous! I have some warm bread rolls and butter with eggs, beans, sausages and bacon! Pig was rare in ten so I savoured this meal. Gary and Belena just sat there quietly.

"So, if we are going into the Hunger Games I would like to think you have advice for us." I say

"Yeah, I didn't come all this way to lose." Says Sugar

"Slow down, let's focus on the opening ceremonies first." Says Gary

"Yes because there is nothing more important than getting sponsors." Says Belena

"Because they can save your damn life when you're in the arena." Says Gary

"The important thing is to listen to your stylist, whatever they do, don't resist" Says Belena.

"Whether you like what they do or not, the capitol will absolutely love it." Says Gary

"So we have no choice as to what we wear?" asks Sugar

"Not at all." Smiles Gary

"What will they dress us in?" I ask

"It varies, the only thing we can guarantee is that it will be the theme of district ten" Chirps Belena.

I have stopped paying attention to the conversation, all I can do is stare at the marvellous city we are approaching.

"Ah, there it is, the Capitol" Says Trenise

Once we arrive in the capitol I am immediately sent to my "prep-team" and I was quite taken back by them, the said I was the hairiest tribute ever, their names were Grace, Daisy and Gina.

"Now off with your clothes!" smiles Gina

I take off my clothes feeling very uncomfortable standing in front of these three strangers completely naked, then I remembered what Gary and Belena said, not to resist.

"Well, we definitely have a nice body to work with" Says Grace

"Yes, quite developed for a thirteen year old" says Daisy

The three of them walk over to me and start to take measurements, waist, neck, arms, stuff like that.

"He could be the next Finnick Odair!" Exclaims Gina with exitment

"I know, he certainly fits the bill!" Giggles Daisy

They start on me, they remove most of the hair on my body, I was waxed all over, this is undignified, since when do guys wax? I have to keep reminding myself not to resist. Once they say I'm ready my stylist walks, I instinctively cover my privates, she laughs and hands me a robe, I take it greatfully.

"I'm your stylist Jaella" she says

"Im-" I start

"Charlie, I know, I did watch the reapings" she says

"So, um, what will I be waring?" I ask

"I have an idea for your district, most of the time your either cows or cowboys, I want to end that tedious tradition" she says

"So, what did you have in mind" I ask

"Nature, you provide meat from all animals, so I want you two to be wearing green cloaks with a little surprise" she giggles

"What's the surprise?" I ask eagerly

"I want it to be a surprise for you two as well, so I will meet you two tonight" she smiles.

I walk out quite intrigued, what did she have in store for Sugar and I? I will have to find out tonight.

Sugar Finds herself dressed in a shimmering green dress with and emerald coloured cloak, while I find myself in a green tuxedo the same colour, also with and emerald coloured cloak, the cloak was heavy and wasn't as soft as it looked, I guess this is part of the surprise.

"Okay, remember when you come out pull the sleeves of the cloaks out like wings, the surprise will activate then" Says Jaella

Our carriage pulls out when we are out we spread our arms, and what happens next takes my breath away, holographic emerald green animals burst out of the inside of the capes! The crowd gasps and starts to cheer, while the animals start to race around the carriages, then shatter into green sparkles. No one could beat that! I was wrong.

The district eleven tributes pulled out and were absoloutly covered in, _seeds? _ They stop in the middle and a blue light shines on them, then my breathe is stolen from me once more, The light had made all the seeds suddenly grow! There tux and dress had just literally grown on them!

The carriages pull up and Snow gives his speech, then we go back to the training centre and its lights out. I couldn't sleep, how could that happen? Sugar and I had the audience practically eating out of our hands then eleven stole the show! I just hope we made enough of an impression to be remembered!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

In My Training

My hopes of winning were crushed, we were in the training centre and it was the first morning of training, these kids were good, too good, wait, what am I thinking? Of course these kids were good, they were the fricken careers! I take a deep breath, okay, these careers are good, but I am better. The girl from seven, Karsyn, is throwing knives, I am better than her, I can tell she has had practice, but not the as much as I have, I walk over to the knife throwing range and suddenly I can feel eyes on me, I turn around to see that Jamie, Toby, Kata, Michael and Gintare are all looking at me, I gulp, This situation is too familiar, its like when I am about to decide if an animal is worth killing, if it is strong, or if it is weak. I grab a pack of ten throwing knives and move in a flurry throwing each one at a target, I don't care if they were on target, this was fun! I stop suddenly to find myself both out of knives and in a pose that looks like I am ready to spring into another battle, I laugh, and notice it is the only sound in the entire hall, everyone was staring at me, and the ten targets, with knives on every bulls-eye.

Kata, walks up to me, obviously the leader of the careers this year.

"That was quite good." She says

"Really? I wasn't even trying" I say

If I am going to be in the games, why not intimidate others? It's just fair that I get to intimidate the district which has been scaring the crap out of tributes from mine for decades!

"Really?" She says quite amazed.

"Yeah, I could always go faster" I taunt

This was obviously something that shocked her, she went a lot paler and her confidence had slipped away.

"I thought district ten wasn't a career district." She mumbles

"It's only me, how can that make my district a career district?" I say

"Your district partner Sugar, she went to the spear range." She says.

That's right! How could I miss that detail! Sugar was just as good with spears as I was with knives! She could either make or break my chances of winning these games, she had to go, but if I killed her would I be able to face anyone back home? No, I couldn't kill her, but until someone else did, there was something she could be useful for. An ally.

There, were four more training sessions and they all went basically the same way, everyone was trying to show off, but what everyone else hadn't thought about was what they were going to save for their individual time with the game makers. I had, I am good with a bow, I could hit those stupid targets they had in there easily, then it dawned on me, I only look bad using a bow because I am comparing myself to Ben and Alex, They were masters, as good as they will ever get, I am not crap at all, I may just well be talented!

"They are going to take you in one by one, it will be a while before you are called, because they start with district one, and so on." Says Gary

Belena wasn't here, she was off coaching Sugar. The way it worked was that the male victor woul mentor the male tribute and the female victor would coach the female tribute.

"I think I will do some knife throwing." I say

"Yes, you should, but do you have anything else up your sleeve, no one likes a one trick pony." He says.

"I'm good at archery" I say

"That's good, show them that." He says

Gary looks stressed, he was pacing up and down and biting his nails.

"You okay?" I ask

"No" He says.

"Why, I'm the tribute here, remember?" I say

"No, it's not that, I want to propose to Belena, but I can't work up the courage" he says

"Seriously? I could die in a few days and your worried about that? Grow a pair of balls man!" I yell

He seems taken back by all of this, I am in rage I need to vent my frustration but how? My name is called. Perfect.

I walk into the hall and I have their attention, mainly because I slammed the door on the way in here. Oops.

"I request a practice mate!" I yell and they all jump

A padded robot hobbles out of a door and walks over, I didn't wait for any instructions, I grabbed twenty knives and threw one into its head, it fizzled for a while and then collapsed. That was easy. Not enough for me though.

"Give me everything you've got!" I yell with a taunting smile.

Twenty more robots hobble out, this was more like it. I line their circuitry with knives and I feel a lot better, I look up to the game makers and see to my horror that they are not paying attention! I march over to the chemicals stand, and write a not in acid along the floor that singes to plastic, then I leave, feeling quite happy with myself, knowing that when the game makers look down from their cafeteria that will see my not singed into the ground.

"Pay attention to the next victor, or else they will do a lot worse than write a note."

Jaella, Sugar, Trenise, Gary and Belena all find this very amusing.

"You did that?" yells Gary laughing

"Genius!" giggles Belena

"I love the way you assume you will be victor" titters Trenise

"Seriously?" laughs Sugar

"How very original, almost as astonishing as your cape at the opening ceremonies!" says Jaelle with a wink.

We all sit down and watch the training scores. Jamie got a nine, how did a twelve year old manage that? Toby got a ten, no surprise! Kata also got a ten, again no surprise for a career, Michael got a nine, still very good, Gintare got a ten, how did she upstage here district partner? Karsyn got a nine, I guess lumber girl has a few tricks up her sleeve! Then Sugars face appears on screen.

"This is Sugar, from district ten, how sweet, and her score is nine!" Announces Ceasar.

Everyone cheers and applauds Sugar, a district ten girl with a Careers score! That has never happened before!

"And this is our nature goddesses district partner Charlie, who has put her to shame by getting ten!" laughs Ceasar.

They all rush in and around me congratulating me and cheering, then it hits me. I am a career! All this was shorlt live until Ceasar announces,

"Oh and the lovely Bekah has scored eleven! How wonderful"

Wait, eleven, ELEVEN? How did district eleven upstage us, again!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The Interviews

I wake up on the morning of the interviews, this is it, and the last day I will be in Capitol, tomorrow we head into the games.

I get up and take a shower as the warm water relaxes me, I let my mind wander, who will win? How will they win? Do I have a chance? Sugar does, she trains with weapons, her family is the richest in district ten, of course they prepared their children for the games, but she doesn't have an edge that I have gotten from hunting, anyone can hit targets, but only the best can put their skills to play in a live situation. I get out of the showers and get dressed and head to breakfast.

When I get there I am greeted by Jaella at the table.

"Where is everyone?" I ask

"Sugar is in another room and Trenise and your mentors are getting sponsors sorted" she winks

"I got sponsors?" I say shocked

"Quite a few" she laughs

"Now, have breakfast the interviews are soon and you can't go on with an empty stomach" she says

I sit down and start to eat breakfast, Jaella walks over to a wardrobe and takes out a shimmering green tuxedo.

"I don't know about you but I don't intend on being upstaged again" she says

"Nor do I, but we don't know what district eleven has in store." I say

"They don't know what I have in store either" she says with a smile

"What is it?" I ask

She walks over to me and whispers it into my ear.

"That's genius!" I exclaim

"I know right?" she says smugly

Jaella, was going to blow the rest of my competition out of the water!

We arrive at the studio where the interviews will be presented live, We are lined up along the corridor leading to the stage in order of the districts we come from, there is a monitor on the screen to let us see the interviews, Jamie is up first, I am interested in him, how can a twelve year old be this _enthusiastic_ about the games?

"Well Jamie, how do you like the capitol? "Asks Ceasar

"It was a nice holiday." Says Jamie with a charismatic cheek

The Capitol audience erupted in laughter, how can he not be scared out of his wits? He is so small compared to Kata, Toby and the others, Then it dawns on me, I am also really small, I'm only thirteen, I'm only a year older than him, and he is the only person in the games smaller than me! Everyone was taller, stronger, broader than me!

"So what about your score in training?" asks Ceasar

"The game makers only got a taster of what I can do." He says cockily

"Well I can't wait to see you in the games!" smiles Ceasar

Jamie's buzzer goes off and he leaves the stage, I wasn't really paying attention only the people I perceived as dangerous got my attention for their interview, Toby was on next, his huge muscular body strides across the stage confidently, the contrast between him and Jamie were on both of the extreme sides of the spectrum, Toby sits down in the chair next to Ceasar.

"Toby! A great score in training, any comment?" ask Ceasar

"I didn't even get enough time to show them all my skills!" He says confidently

"Really, so we can expect some surprises in the arena then?" asks Ceasar excitedly

"You can count on it." Says Toby with an evil smile.

His buzzer goes off and he leaves the stage. He scares me. How can a sixteen year old be that big? His blood must be more steroid than liquid!

Kata strides onto the stage in an elegant dress, her hair around her shoulders in curls.

"Ah, the lovely Kata!" says Ceasar

"You're not too bad yourself Ceasar" Kata says with a wink

The crowd laugh and cheer.

"Now Kata, explain to us, how can someone as beautiful as you get a viciously brilliant score like that?" asks Ceasar

"I am a girl with many layers." She laughs

"I can see that!" says Ceasar with a laugh

"But the best is yet to come Ceasar, you love me now? Wait for the games!" she says with a confident smile on her face.

"I will certainly be paying attention!" he says with a large smile.

Kata's buzzer goes off and she does a bow and leaves the stage. She was dangerous, she didn't just have the strength a regular career did, she was smart too, the odds are definitely in her favour.

Michael walks onto the stage, he seems to have this attitude that everyone is below him and he is superior, which with him being a career was about right.

"Hello Michael! What has been your favourite part of the Capitol so far?" asks Ceasar

"Oh my favourite part is yet to come" smiles Michael

"The games I bet!" says Ceasar

"Well I didn't come here for the chicken." Says Michael and the crowd erupts in laughter one more.

"And what about that excellent score you got?" asks Ceasar.

"Well, it says clear as day, I am one to watch." Says Michael with a wink.

Michaels buzzer goes off and he leaves the stage, he had a calm aura that was so assuring, its almost as if he knew exactly what was going to happen already.

Gintare walks onto the stage she was only thirteen like me but she looked way older, sixteen at the least.

"Welcome Gintare! It's lovely to have you here in the Capitol!" exclaims Ceasar.

"It's great to be here Ceasar." Says Gintare.

"So, what gave a girl like you the confidence to volunteer at the age of thirteen?" asks Ceasar

"Thirteen years of training" She says cockily.

"What can we expect in the games?" asks Ceasar

"Me winning of course" she says with a laugh.

"I will be counting on it." Says Ceasar with a wink.

Gintare's buzzer goes off and she leaves the stage, she seemed so sure she was going to win, how could I compare to her? Wait I have Jaella's surprise, never mind.

Karsyn is called up to the stage, she seems to be the only tribute so far that is capable of showing fear.

"Now Karsyn, why the long face?" asks Ceasar.

"Well I'm just sad because of the other tributes, the capitol loves them so much." She says

"And why would this upset you?" asks Ceasar, quite concerned

Karsny's entire posture changes, the scared afraid little girl was gone, in her place was a strong confident career.

"Because you are all going to be so devastated when I kill them all!" she says with a laugh.

The crowd roar with excitement!

"Now that's the way a determined tribute thinks!" exclaims Ceasar.

"I'm here to win this thing baby!" says Karsyn with a confident smirk.

"And we are all routing for you!" smiles Ceasar.

Karsyn's buzzer goes off and she leaves the stage. Wow. How did the timid girl from seven turn into a being of confidence? Perhaps she does have a trick or two up her sleeve.

It's my turn to go up, I try to look as confident as possible waving to all the crowd, I sit down in the chair across from Ceasar.

"So, district ten is now a career district then?" He says with a wink.

This is my chance; I have to look as confident as possible.

"Oh no Ceasar, we're much better than that, being careers means we would still have competition from the other careers, but they can't keep up with us. When Trenise picked that piece of paper she may as well have said "and the next victor of the hunger games is.." if you know what I mean" I Say and wink.

"Well, we definitely know that's a great possibility with that training score" says Ceasar.

"Oh, that? I wasn't even trying Ceasar!" is say summoning my best smile.

"Well, I can't wait to see you in the arena then!" says Ceasar

This is it! My chance to use Jaella's surprise!

"I can give you a preview, if you want." I say coolly.

"Whatever do you mean?" asks Ceasar.

"Just watch." I say with a grin.

I stand up and clap my hands, holographic projections shoot out of my sleeves and the studio is transformed into a lush colourful wood, a holographic knife is in my hand, I let the audience gasp at their new surroundings, then I throw a knife at the far wall and the projection shatters and everyone is back in the studio.

The crowd roars with cheers, laughter, applause, love, I have actually done it, I have gotten the citizens of the capitol to love me.

My buzzer goes off and I leave, I sigh in relief, all of the glamorous Capitol traditions are over. Sugar passes me o the stairs.

"Break a leg." I say

"Not that I will be as good as you." She says.

She continues up the stairs and on to the stage.

"Why Hello Sugar!" smile Ceasar

"Hello Ceasar, Happy Hunger Games." Says Sugar.

"I will indeed, did you see the little show your partner put on?" exclaims Ceasar

"Yes it was quite, entertaining." She says.

"Anyways we are here to talk about you, what about that nine in training" Says Ceasar excitedly.

"I guess the game makers like me." Says Sugar

The crowd starts to clap and the most astonishing thing happens, Sugars dress starts to light the room green, when the clapping stops the light does too. Of course! Jaella wouldn't just give me a surprise, Sugar got one too!

"Well that is quite amazing, everyone clap" says Ceasar.

The crowd claps quickly, the more they clapped the brighter the light.

"Well, you and your partner definitely are ones to watch!" says Ceasar

"We are going to shine brighter than stars." Says Sugar with a smile.

Sugars buzzer goes off and she leaves the stage, Its Bekah I am focusing on now, it would take some miracle for her to outshine us now.

Bekah walks onto the stage and sits across from Ceasar.

"Hello Bekah, it's been a little competition between ten and eleven this year hasn't it? Who can look the most glamorous and grab our attention! Have you got anything for us" says Ceasar with a wink.

"No Ceasar, I'm saving the rest of my surprises for the games!" she says with a laugh.

"Well as you know, the world will be watching." Says Ceasar.

"Then the world may prepare to be astonished!" says Bekah with a smile.

Her buzzer goes off and she leaves the stage, I don't know why she grabs my attention, the way she moves so elegantly, the way her voice is smooth like velvet, the way her eyes were the first thing that grab you. Whatever it was she seemed to be able to grab people's attention.

All will be revealed when we go into the arena tomorrow.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

That Scary Serum

Sugar wakes me violently, tears were running down here face.

"What is it?" I ask, slightly annoyed that she has woken me early on the morning of the games.

"They… Injections…. mutate" she said in a flurry.

"Okay Sugar, calm down and start again." I say

"I couldn't sleep, so I turned on the T.V, Ceasar Flickerman and Seneca Crane were on." She says

"And?" I say, this was no surprise, Ceasar and Seneca always did a midnight interview before the games.

"They said they injected us, with the same serum they use to make muttations" she says.

What? They injected us with Capitolness? What happens now, do we become Jabber-jays or something? Whatever happens, I'm sure the game-makers have thought this out carefully, wouldn't want any miss-haps in the arena, would we?

Somehow this wasn't reassuring, anything could happen now. I check my arm, yes, there it was, the small scab left after the needle was injected. I don't remember being injected, they must have done it when we were asleep.

"I'm scared, for the first time since we arrived here, I'm scared." Admits Sugar

"I've been scared since the start, this just adds to the overall horror." I say

"I don't think I will ever sleep now." She sighs.

"That ship sank for me when you woke me." I say

Sugar sighs and gets up, she walks to the door and then looks back at me.

"Do you think any other of the tributes know about this?" she asks.

"I doubt any other tributes are awake watching television at four a.m Sugar." I say

She smiles.

"Well then I guess we are the only ones that know." She says with a smile and leaves.

Yeah, I guess we are the only ones, this could be an advantage for us, because whatever this serum does to us, you can bet it will happen when that gong goes off. I lie back down. What will this serum do to us? Can it kill us? Will it help us kill others? I don't know, I cant imagine Gary or Belena do either, they were useless as mentors for regular Hunger Games, not to mention bumped up Hunger Games on mutation steroids.

Whatever happens it already scares me, why was Sugar smiling? Surely she was scared too. She cant possibly think this is _good._ Can she?

My mind starts to race with all the possibilities of what this serum can do to us. Will we become animals? Will we revert to primal man and just go savage? This scares me, why did the Capitol pick the seventy-third hunger games to inject us with mutation steroids? This kind of craziness was reserved for Quarter-Quells!

Okay Charlie, calm down, on the bright side you and Sugar are the only Tributes that actually know what's going on, sort of. The other tributes or clueless as far as we know. I smile, poor Kata, she was the smartest person in the arena, but know she doesn't look so smart, there's no way she could have guessed this as a possibility on how the games would play out. This gives me confidence, I know a huge secret that no one else knows, well Sugar knows, but I would have told her anyway, just as she told me. Wait? _Just as she told me._ Did Sugar care about me? Is she trying to _Protect _me?

I don't know, I guess we will all find out in a couple of hours.

When the games start.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The Blood-Bath

I stop outside the door to the dining room, this is my last meal before the games. How has time gone so quickly? What was the serum going to do to us? _Who is going to win?_ Okay Charlie, calm yourself, all you will do is get worked up asking yourself questions you can't possibly answer.

With myself reassured I open the door to the dining room, breakfast was laid out.

"Ready?" asks Gary.

"Not at all." I say.

Gary chuckles to himself.

"No one could ever possibly be ready for what No one could ever possibly be ready for what you're in for." He says.

"What do you," I start.

Suddenly Peace keepers burst in and start trying to pull me out of the room.

"What the hell is happening?" I scream.

"Just relax, they're taking you to the arena." Gary shouts over the noise.

"Not without breakfast!" I say loudly and firmly.

They all look at me like I am insane, I am hungry, I don't care how important these games are, I am not leaving without a Bagel at the least.

I walk to the table and pick up two bagels, why not spoil myself?

"Okay, take me away." I say with a roll of my eyes.

They swarm around me and lift me up taking me out of the building and into the hovercraft.

Once I am in the hovercraft I am directed to my seat, Sugar is in front of me, everyone was here, I was the last to arrive. I can see them all looking hungrily at my Bagels. They aren't getting any, the bagels are mine, they should've gotten their own.

A Capitol assistant injects my tracker into my arm, she smiles at me and says,

"Wouldn't want to lose you, would we?"

What did she mean by that? It's not like they weren't watching us every second of every day.

The hovercraft takes off, I feel the surge of power as we pulse through the air. I look around at the other tributes, only one of us would get back onto this hovercraft, it is going to be me.

The hovercraft lands and we are taken directly underground, wouldn't want the tributes to get an early look at the arena, would we?

I am put in a room, Jaella is here.

"It's time." She says with a smile.

"I am utterly terrified." I say.

"Most people are, but you have no need to be, I have faith in you, and so should you." She says.

Maybe she was right, I am good with knives, and bows too. Yeah, maybe I can win, I may be small but thirteen year olds have won before, why can't I? Wait. What about the serum? What will it do? I obviously am not going to get any answers from Jaella.

A timer says I have 30 seconds to get into the tube that will rise to be my pedestal.

"This is goodbye." She says.

"Yeah, I guess it is." I say.

I walk into the tube and it slides shut, all is silent and I start to rise.

I can see the arena now, it's a lush forest, I can hear all the wildlife from behind the trees. There is the cornucopia, glinting golden in the sunlight.

There are loads of knives. Perfect. I can imagine that I am not the only one who knows how to throw knives, that girl from seven, Karsyn, could too.

I can see the timer on top of the cornacopia.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

The gong goes off and I sprint to the conacopia, Yes! I am so much faster than all the other tributes! Thank god! Wait, wait, wait ,wait. Who is that? I see Jamie turn around, smiling his evil little smile, he turns around. In his hands were a pair of golden claws, each blade was as sharp as a knife, so that's what he did to get a ten, impressive. He runs past me and starts to rip the boy from seven apart. I get to the conacopia and grab a bow and three sheaths of arrows, why not? Without those sheaths at least two other bows become ineffective. I smirk to myself, already enjoying this, I turn around and pick up two packs of throwing knives, now I defend the cornacopia, I am a career, I will not fall. Karsyn Runs straight at me, knives in her hands, she throws one at me and I dodge it easily, this girl isn't any wonder with knives, I knock an arrow and shoot her in the eye socket. Bye bye Karsyn.

The boy from six runs up to me, he has his hands up as if he is surrendering. What is he doing? You don't just giove up at the bloodbath!

"Charlie! Be my ally!" He says.

"Im sorry, but who are you?" I ask

"Oisin Hadddow, district 6." He says proudly.

"Yeah, um, no. Now run." I say.

His eyes widen and he tries to run, I catch up to him in no time at all, he cant run to save his life. Literally. I take out a knife and slice his neck, cutting him deep, his eyes roll back and he is dead.

I look around to see the bloodbath has stopped, the non-career tributes have disappeared into the wood, and then there is us, the careers.

I look around them, Jamie, Kata, Toby, Gintare, Michael, Sugar, and last but not least me.

"Looks like it wasn't all talk after all." Says Gintare.

I keep searching, where is Bekah? Shouldn't she, out of all of us be the most powerful and have caused a slaughter at the blood-bath?

"You're not bad with a bow." Says Toby

I look at him, he's done exactly what I have, taken one bow and three of arrows.

"I wouldn't have thought you were an archer yourself." I say.

He laughs.

"Well looks can be deceiving, I bet you thought I would use a mace sword or club, didn't you." He says with an evil smile.

"Well yes, I did, someone who is very large normally uses close combat weapons." I say.

"Well I can use them, I am just better with a bow." He says.

"I noticed." I say.

Toby walks of, why was he talking to me? He is from district two, they love getting up-close and personal with their kills, why did he like archery?

"They're weird aren't they." Says Sugar

"You can say that again." I say.

"I don't think they understand just how dangerous the games are." She says.

"They don't need to, they are the danger." I finish.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The Serum Kicks in

There are seventeen tributes left in the arena. The girl from one, the boy from three, the girl from five, both from six and Karsyn from seven. There are still all seven of the careers, Jamie, Toby, Kata, Michael, Gintare, Sugar and I. Bekah is also out there somewhere.

I look around the campfire, all of these people could potentially kill me, I couldn't let that happen, I am going to win, I don't care how much blood I shed to do it, but I will.

"We should go hunting tonight, before the other tributes find food and have stable resources." Says Gintare.

Wow, she sure has bloodlust.

"Great idea." Says Kata.

"There is the still the problem of actually finding a tribute, we have nothing to follow, anyone could be anywhere. " Explains Michael.

"We have that." Says Toby as he points to a column of smoke coming from a fire just a little way from where we are sitting.

"I don't even want to go hunting, just let the boys go and clean out that tribute." Says Sugar.

"While we have a girly night here? Sounds great!" Exclaims Kata.

Sugar and I look at each other as if to say "_She has to be fucking kidding me_"

Gintare also leaps up at the thought of a girly night.

"Yes! You guys go hunting! WE ARE SO HAVING A GIRLY NIGHT TONIGHT!" She exclaims.

I look around at Jamie, Toby and Michael. Toby and Michael were both bigger than me, but Jamie was smaller. If they turned on me, what were my chances?

"Sounds good." Jamie says with a smile as he gets up.

"I'm in." Says Toby and he gets up too.

"It's not a party without me guys!" Michael laughs as he joins them.

They all look at me, expecting me to put on my "Yay, kill time" face. Was it too much to ask just to make smores on the first night in the arena? Obviously so.

I put on my career mask and look up at them confidently.

"Well, if we want any killing done I should go too, shouldn't I?" I laugh and get up.

"Great, let's go." Says Jamie.

"Have fun! We know we will!" Exclaims Kata.

Sugar gives me look that basically says "_Don't you ever bitch about having to do things with the careers ever again after the shit I'm about to go through._"

I Shrug and leave with the guys.

We come up to the fire, it's the girl from twelve. They never learn, do they?

"Let me take her." Says Jamie with his golden claws glinting in the firelight.

Then the most bizarre thing happens.

A high pitched beep rings through the arena, hearing it is painful. I hold my hand to my ears trying to keep out the ear-splitting sound. I'm not the only one. everyone is having the same problem.

Now it's completely dark, then lights start flashing on and off. On and off. On and off. I wonder if any of the tributes are having epileptic fits right now?

Suddenly it all stops.

I am the first to get up, everyone is still on the floor groaning. Michael gets up. I gasp. His eyes. They had changed, there was no pupils nothing his eye sockets were just pure blue.

"Oh my god your eyes Charlie!" he exclaims.

"My eyes? What about yours?" I yell.

We both take out pocket knives, inspecting our reflection.

Oh god. My eyes, they were, pure green. I look so alien, unnatural.

The serum.

It had to be the serum, this never ever happens regularly, and I bet that high pitched sound and flashing lights activated it for everyone.

Toby rolls over and gets up, his eyes were red, Jamie's were a deep gold.

"What happened to us?" asks Toby.

"What did we do?" Says Jamie,

"It didn't just happen to us guys, look." I say.

I walk over to the girl from twelve, she was groaning, still recovering from the serums activation. I kick her and she rolls over she looks at us with her pure black eyes.

"You're right." Says Michael.

"But why do we all have different colours?" asks Jamie.

"I don't know, but I know one thing, I'm not just going to run back to camp like a wuss, she is dying." I say as I point to the girl from twelve.

As if things weren't bizarre enough, the girl burst into flames.

Wait, she was on fire, but she didn't look hot, _she wasn't even burning. _

"Interesting." She says as she examines her flaming hand.

She flicks her wrist and a fireball the size of a head flies out, barley missing Toby, she laughs.

"Kill me now bitches." She says with a laugh.

"Gladly." I say as I knock an arrow.

"You can't kill me, my flames are too pretty!" she screams.

I shoot her in the heart, walk over to her, retrieve my arrow and say.

"No they're just creepy"

"What the hell." Says Toby

"That was just disturbing." Shudders Michael.

"That was awesome!" Exclaims Jamie.

We all stare at him as if to say "_The fuck dude?_"

"The kill, not the fire." Says Jamie.

"Whatever, I'm going back to camp before anyone else busts out some flames." Says Toby

We all head back to the camp.

The "Girly Night" hadn't turned out too well


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Being someone I'm not**

The girls were in a flurry of panic, well Gintare and Kata were, Sugar was laughing her head off.

"My eyes!" Screamed Gintare

"Your eyes? What about mine?" Screamed Kata in reply

Suddenly I noticed something, Kata's eyes were the exact same colour as Toby's and Gintare's were the exact same as Michael's. I stare at Sugar, so that's what my eyes were, a deep emerald green, no pupils, no corneas, just pure emerald green.

"Each district has a colour of eyes." I say.

They all stare at me in bewilderment.

"What are you talking about?" Asks Gintare.

"People from the same district have the same colour of eyes." I say.

They all look at their district partner, and they came to the same conclusion I did.

"He's right." Says Toby.

"Of course he is silly." Says Sugar, she walks up and give him an affectionate hug, of which Toby returns.

Wait, what?

Did they have something going on? I shudder at the thought, that was just wrong, how would there be time for something as distracting as love in the Hunger Games?

Everyone settles down and gets ready for bed, I find out that my suspicions are right when I notice, Sugar and Toby were sharing a sleeping bag.

Come on for god's sake, we have like twenty other sleeping bags, and they want to _share?_

"I feel so safe when I'm with you." Says Sugar to Toby.

I roll my eyes, this is sickening, I never got relationships, how could anyone care for anyone that much? However, this doesn't stop a part of me dying when I see happy couples together. It wasn't fair, happy couples should be taken to another world, so they couldn't mock single people in theirs. I remember losing my friend to the horrible monster that is a "relationship." I had said the exact same thing to him, and he said "_We don't need to be taken to another world, we're in a universe of our own, where no one but each other matters._"

I sigh, I guess that's a universe I'm never going to see.

I remember my friend clearly, he had blonde hair, mossy green eyes and was a great deal taller than me.

Suddenly my skin turns into blue scales, all of them start to flip over and changing colour and size, the turning over is like a wave that goes across my entire body until they are all flipped over.

The other tributes gasp.

"Charlie! How did you do that!" Asks Sugar in amazement.

"Do what?" I ask.

I was more alarmed as to what happened to my skin than anything else.

"Dude, look." Says Michael, he had a giant silver shield in front of him, and I can see my reflection, except, it isn't me.

The person in the reflection, is my friend.

I think of my normal self and all the scales reappear and flip over one by one until I was getting smaller and returning to my normal self again.

"That is creepy." Says Jamie.

"That could have been something you could have told me about." Says Sugar.

"Have you always been able to do that?" Asks Kata.

"No, I can honestly say, I have never morphed into someone else in my entire life before." I say.

"The serum!" Blurts out Sugar.

Everyone looks at her with a quizzical look, everyone but me.

"In that case everyone can probably do the same thing." I say.

"No because you said the girl from twelve burst into flames." She says.

"Then everyone probably has a different variation of mutation." I say.

Toby, Kata, Michael, Gintare and Jamie were all looking at us dumbfounded, they probably didn't understand a single thing of what we were saying, district ten, was the most academic district, our tributes were always really smart, just not strong.

"We have powers now, all of us." Sugar says with a roll of her eyes.

"What? How?" Asks Jamie.

"On the night before the games I couldn't sleep so I turned on the T.V, Ceasar and Seneca were talking about how they had injected everyone with the same serum they use to give mutts their abilities." Explains Sugar.

"Why do that? Why in these games?" Asks Gintare.

"Yeah, this sounds like something they would do in a quell." Says Michael.

"I don't know, how the game makers think is beyond me" I say.

"Anyway, he can change into one person, big deal." Jamie says lazily.

I stare at him, and before I know it, I'm doing it again, changing, morphing into a different form, except this time, I'm him. I give him one of his own little evils smiles.

"Keep counting nimrod." I say lazily.

I morph back, this was easy, almost, fun.

I have to test this out, I soon discover quickly, when I am in someones form, I also have their voice.

I will be having a lot of fun tonight indeed.

"Everyone split up to search for tributes, meet back here in four hours." Says Toby.

Everyone nods and turns to walk away, but instead of going my own way, I follow Sugar.

Once we are far enough away for anyone to see us, I morph into Toby, he was seriously bigger than me, I wasn't used to have as long as legs as these, he was also a great deal more muscular than me.

"Hey Sugar." I say in his voice.

She turns round and her eyes widen.

"Oh hey Toby!" she says with delight.

Wow, she really has fallen for him.

"I was thinking we could hunt together." I say.

"Nothing would delight me more." She says.

She holds out her hand, I take it. Wow, this body is so different to my own, Sugars hand felt tiny in his hand, and Sugars hand was the exact same size as mine.

Her eyes narrow, she tilts her head.

"Very funny Charlie, morph back." She says.

My skins ripples as all the scales turn over, and I get smaller and less muscular.

"How could you tell?" I ask.

"If I ever offer my hand to Toby, he grabs it and carries me in his arms." She says with a small smile.

"Oh." I say.

"Other than that, you were very convincing." She says, "You're a very good actor."

We walk in silence for a while then from behind us comes a slow deliberate clapping.

We turn around to see Bekah, she had been watching us.

"Well, well, well, looks I'm not the only one with abilities." She says.

Sugar stares at me wide eyed, she was afraid of Bekah, I don't know what to do, should I stay and fight, or should I save myself and let fate decide?

Even if I did stay and fight, I am not comfortable with hitting a girl, wait, I can fix that. My skin started shifting and changing. I grew taller, leaner, and before I knew it I was Kata. I examine my new long blonde hair.

"Interesting." I say in her voice.

"So you become girls too?" Asks Sugar.

"It seems so." I say.

"When you change, while you're changing, it's disgusting, it looks like scales just appear and flip over row by row." Says Bekah.

"Why thank you." I say in a sarcastic voice.

"My turn." Says Bekah.

There's a bright flash and suddenly there were two of her.

Wait, what?

Another bright flash, now there were four of her, her ability must be the ability to multiply, the four Bekahs, start chasing us, I am thankful that Kata has really long legs, she is pretty fast.

I pull Sugar to the side and hide with her behind a bush, the Bekahs run past. We have lost them, for now.

"That was close." I say.

"Yeah, it was, can you check again, I think only three ran past." Says Sugar.

I turn around to see if anyone is there, thankfully there is not, I turn back to find that Sugar is no longer beside me.

"Sugar? Where did you go!" I ask worriedly.

"I'm right here stupid." Comes a voice from right in front of me.

"What? I can hear you but I can't see you!" I say.

She suddenly appears in front of me, she examines her had.

"Wow. Was I invisible?" She asks.

"Yeah, you were." I say with a shaky laugh.

I suddenly remember that I am still Kata, the blue scales reappear and lip over, I grow smaller, and the blonde hair shortens and becomes my usual dark brown. I am myself again.

"We should head back to camp." Says Sugar.

"Why?" I say.

"Because, it's been four hours." She says.

"So you don't want to stay here with me?" I ask.

"No, not with you, no." she says.

I change into Toby, the scales moved slowly and deliberately.

"How about now." I say, I give her one of Toby's seductive stares.

She laughs and says, "No, Charlie, let's just go."

"Fine." I say.

I change back into myself and we walk back towards the camp.

"You know I always wonder what life would be like if you had said yes last year." She says.

Oh no, she was bringing this up. Last year right after the reaping, both of us were happy we weren't chosen. Her family had come over to our house to celebrate as neighbours, but Sugar and I had gotten bored quickly, so I took her to the woods and taught her how to use a bow. She had asked if we could be more than just friends, but I said no. I just don't feel that way with her.

"But I said no." I point out.

She sighs "Yeah, you did."

We arrive at camp, everyone else is already here.

"You guys find anyone?" Asks Kata.

"The girl from eleven, but we couldn't kill her, there were too many of her." Says Sugar.

"What do you mean." Asks Jamie.

"Her ability, she can multiply" I say.

"That's dangerous, she could easily out number us if she wanted to." Says Michael

"She doesn't have any weapons though." I say.

"I can become invisible." Says Sugar randomly.

"You discovered your gift?" Asks Gintare.

"Yeah, I did." Says Sugar.

"I hope you never need to use it, then I wouldn't get to see your beautiful face." Says Toby.

Oh god, here we go again, a part of me dying because they're a happy couple and I'm an unlovable loner. God, why do they have to be so happy? I because I would rather they move there full time.

Everyone rolls their eyes, maybe they have the same viewpoint on the whole romance thing as me. Cool, we could be the loner club. Wait, that doesn't make sense, loners are alone. Never mind.

We decide that we should call it a night. Everyone gets into their sleeping bags. Correction, Toby and Sugar share one. Again. We all drift off to sleep, but a few hours later I am woken by Kata Shaking my shoulder. Whatever does she want?


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**I love it when a plan comes together, too bad it didn't**

"Wake up you lazy git!" Says Kata in a hushed voice.

"What is it?" I say, slightly irritated that she had the fricken nerve to interrupt my sleep.

"I've had enough of Sugar and Toby." She says

"God, tell me about it, it's like watching a chick flick." I say.

"We need to do something about it." She says with an evil smile.

"What do you have in mind?" I ask.

"They both need to die, I know it's a bit cruel, but let's face it, they're competition and they need to be eliminated." She says

"One problem, I just can't kill Sugar." I say.

"I know, it's the same with me, I can't kill Toby, we grew up together." She says.

"Are you suggesting?" I start.

"I kill Sugar and you kill Toby, and we have to promise that we will not hold a grudge against each other." She says.

"Do we have a deal?" she asks. She raises her hand, waiting for me to shake on it.

"Deal." I say and shake her hand.

The next morning Toby gently punches my shoulder and asks,

"Hey, can I talk to you for a sec?"

Kata looks at me as if to say "_This is your chance, don't screw it up, git._"

I grab a set of knives and was about to follow him when he says,

"Put them down Charlie or I will use them to kill you."

I roll my eyes and set them down and follow him into the woods. We walk a good distance in, far enough for the others to b out of view. Toby turns and faces me.

"I discovered what my gift is." He says.

"Oh, what is it." I ask.

"I can read minds." He says.

Crap, he probably knows all about yesterday.

"I'm waiting for an apology from you." He says.

"Here's your fricken apology!" I say.

I punch him in the face.

Bad idea.

He looks at me with blood trickling down his lip.

"Oh, you did not just do that". He says with a pissed off tone.

I change into Sugar, the scales moving quickly.

"Go on, hit me honey." I say in her voice.

"That's not fair, I can't hit Sugar's face" he complains.

"All's fair in love and war, idiot." I say.

I jump up on his back and wrap my legs around his throat. Wow, Sugar is flexible. I constrict him for a while, then he manages to shake me off. He pushes me against a tree and starts to continually bash my head against the bark. I kick him in his groin, yeah, I fight dirty like that.

He crumples to the floor. I kick him in the face, knocking him out, for now. I check his jacket, the dirty fecker had a knife, and he made me leave mine!

I take the knife and wait for him to wake up. It occurs to me that I'm still Sugar, I quickly change to my normal self.

"Finish me." He says.

"Oh no, I want to play a game first." I say evilly

I climb onto his chest so that we were face to face. I take the knife and dig it into his left eye, making a huge bloody mess. I take out the knife, it was dripping with his blood. I drive it into his right eye, twisting it slowly and deliberately while it's in his eye socket. His cannon goes off and I stand him up against a tree, leaving him. Letting his dead body cry tears of blood.

I return to camp, everyone is looking at me, my hands are covered in Toby's blood.

"You monster!" Screams Sugar, tears rolling down her cheek.

"God Sugar, grow up, I was closest to Toby, and even I knew he would eventually die, he was competition, now we have one less person to worry about." Says Kata emotionlessly.

"How did you do it? How could you beat someone that's twice your size?" Asks Michael

"With skill Michael, size isn't everything!" says Gintare, like it was an argument they usually had.

"Sugar, do you wanna, talk about it?" Says Gintare in a soothing voice.

"No, Kata's right, I have to move on, he was just a distraction." Says Sugar.

"That's it, I've had enough, you're just a distraction, I never liked you. Now I'm going to kill you." Says Kata.

Kata unsheathes her sword and swings it at Sugar. Sugar dodges and rolls away, she retrieves the pack of knives Toby had made me leave. She throws one, but Kata deflects it off her sword. Kata swings again, this time slashing a gash in Sugars thigh. Sugar Screams in pain.

"You bitch!" Screams Sugar.

"Whore!" Screams Kata in reply.

This sets Sugar into rage, she turns invisible, Kata looks around nervously. Sugar could be everywhere and anywhere, she could strike at any minute. Kata wouldn't even have time to respond. Sugar throws a knife and it pierces into Kata's calf. Kata screams in pain, the blood was running out of her leg.

"I've seen enough." Says Jamie.

He puts on his claws and pounces at Kata, he tears her to shreds, the claws tearing her skin apart like they were mere pieces of paper, a pool of blood floats out from Kata. Her cannon goes off, yet Jamie continues to slash at her. His speed increases and he screams in rage. When he stops, the remains of Kata is nothing but a slashed up piece of meat. Jamie pants hard.

"That bitch had it coming, I heard her making that deal with you Charlie." Says Jamie.

"What deal?" Asks Sugar and she appears right in front of me.

"It was nothing." I say, pissed of that Jamie knew.

Jamie rolls his eyes, luckily Sugar didn't see.

That's it, Jamie needs to die, if he reveals to anyone what Kata and I's deal was, everyone would be against me. I stare at him, but how do I kill him? I need to get rid of those infernal claws, I doubt he can use any other weapon.

"Guys, can we try not to kill each other and focus on the other tributes?" Asks Gintare.

Gintare is making a big wish there. Can I really allow Jamie to live past lunch?

We will have to see.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Watching the final beats of a heart**

Jamie has to die. Simple as daylight. He knows my secret. He could tell anyone and then they would all turn on me. No one is in the mood to hunt.

A cannon sounds, then another and another.

"What the hell was that?" Asks Gintare

"Three people died." Says Michael.

"Well done dipshit." Says Jamie.

"How?" Asks Sugar.

"None of us know." I say.

"I-I-I do…." Says Gintare in shock

We all look at her with quizzical looks.

"How?" Asks Jamie

"M-m-my gift, I can see things through others eyes. A mutt killed them." She says shakily

"Seriously?" Asks Jamie

She recomposes herself and looks at him like he's an idiot.

"Do I look like I ever fucking kid?" She says

"Umm, no." Says Jamie and backs off.

"Good boy." Gintare says with a sarcastic smile.

"What is the mutt like?" Asks Michael.

"It's a bird, like an eagle except purple and pink." She says.

"That's scary." Says Jamie.

I morph into him, my scales moving slowly and deliberately.

"That's scary." I say in his voice in mock.

He looks at me angrily and cracks his knuckles underneath those infernal golden claws.

"Wanna start a fight? Farm boy." He says lazily.

I morph back, this is my chance. He was literally offering me to kill him.

"No he doesn't, we need to kill the other tributes, not each other." Says Sugar.

"No, if he wants to die that's his choice." I say as I lightly push Sugar aside.

"Don't be idiots, for all we know, there could be an alliance bigger than us, there is strength in numbers." Says Michael.

"Yeah, and it's not like THERE'S A GIANT FUCKING BIRD MUTT AFTER US!" Screams Gintare

"Jesus Christ, there it is!" Yells Michael as he points towards the sky.

He is right. The bird advancing towards us is huge, it's purple are a deep dark menacing purple, but the skin underneath is a bright pink. The birds eyes ware flames, no pupils or coneas, the birds eyes are literally just fire. The birds beak and talons are made of some sort of shiny metal, their a brassy/copper colour, but look as if they have been specifically waxed to be shiny. The claws also look very sharp and probably are, that's probably how the other tributes died, and now, we're going to die too.

I ready my bow, Jamie readies his claws, Sugar raises her spear, Gintare points her trident and Michael grips his knives. We may be doomed, but if we're going to do anything, it won't be rnning. It'll be taking a last stand.

The bird rips through the air towards us, Jamie tenses beside me and springs forward, landing on it's head. Sugar jumps up and summersaults through the air and graps into it's ankles. Michael runs up a tree and jumps onto it's back and digs his two knives into the beasts back. Jamie starts to claw at the birds face. The bird is in rage, it thrashes about and screams in blooming agony. I knock an arrow and fire it into one of it's eye sockets. Gintare stabs its wing with her trident. The bird sqwuawks with such force that it shakes the entire valley. I shoot an arrow down it's throat, that should stop the sqwuawking. The bird simply won't die, and we're all getting tired.

Suddenly Michael and Gintare stare at eachother.

"Manouvre 56!" Screams Michael.

"Now!" Screams Gintare in reply.

Michael launches himself onto the birds necks and starts to constrict it, he pulls the beak back so thet the birds neck it vonourable. Gintare runs round the birst to it's neck. She jams her trident into it's neck, twisting it round, I decide to help by lining the birds neck with arrows. Jamie joins the action and starts slicing at the birds neck too. With one final mighty thrust of her trident, Gintare rips the birds head off.

We all hear the loud CLINK when the bird beak hits the floor, and the once screaming, horrifying creature goes limp and falls to the ground. The head starts to roll down the hill, leaving a trail of crimson red blood.

"We actually killed it!" Says Gintare with a surprised tone.

"Yeah, we did." Says Michael.

"The monster here isn't dead yet." Says Jamie.

"No, but it's about to die." I say firmly as my hand reaches behing my back, hungry for an arrow.

"Come at me bro!" Says Jamie cockily.

I shoot him in the eye and he falls dead.

"Sorry, I don't do running." I say with an evil smirk.

That was way too easy, I thought Jamie was going to be a tough apponent, it just goes to show. It's just as deadly to overestimate your apponents to underestimate them.

"The hell dude." Says Michael.

"He had it coming." Says Gintare dismissively as she turns to go back to camp.

It occurs to me that Jaie's cannon hasn't gone off yet. I stare at him on the ground and inspect him closley, I can just make out the rise and fall of his chest.

"Oh no you don't you regenitive bastard." I yell.

I take a knife fro my belt and dig it into his eye and turn it violenty and repeat the action in his other eye. I then dig the knife into his chest and drag it down his body, creating a huge wound all the way down his torso. I plunge my hand into the wound and wrap my hand around his heart. I wrentch it out of his chest and show it to him for the final second before his cannon goes off. Even after the cannon goes off, the heart gontinues to beqat in my hand. This is his abilty, regenitivity. He can heal quickly. The source must have been his heart because once I had ripped it out the rest of his body stopped healing and regenerating.

Jamie's blood spilled across the floor. I'm absoloutly covered in it.

"You should wear blood more often, the relentless brutal killing suits you." Says Gintare

"What?" I ask.

"I knew it, you say that you're so uch better than the regular careers, but let's face it. You're no better, you've seen more blood of others than you've seen your own." She says.

I stare down at my hands, Jamie's continuosly beating heart is in my right hand and the knife is in my left, every inch of me is covered in this small boys blood. I had taken his life just to keep my dirty slate of lies and deception hidded.

Oh god.

What have I become? Since when is it okay to savagely kill someone else to save your own skin? Since when is it okay to spill someone's blood all over the floor to hide a secret? Since when is it okay to replace the tears of someone with their own blood?

I'm not human, I'm a mutt. A savage killing machine designed by the capitol. My emerald eyes were the go signal for an endless wave of death and suffering. I don't deserve to win, I don't deserve to live.

"Don't be too hard on yourself, you're a survivor. Let's face it, it's eat or be eaten out there, and I'm not going hungry and neither are you." Says Gintare

Tears start streaming down my face.

"I-I-I-I'm a monster though." I say.

She smiles kindly and squats next to me. "Everyone's a monster, it's what makes our society so ugly, it's how well you deal with it that defines the angels among us."

I smile weakly at her and set Jamie's heart and the knife down.

"Well I'm a long way from having a halo and wings." I say.

She laughs lightly and playfully punches my shoulder "Come one, let's go eat."

"Okay, we can have roast bastard heart." I say as I hold Jamie's beating heart infront of her.

"I think I'll stick to the non-cannibal food." She says with a light laugh.

We get up and start to walk back to camp.

Gintare is right, we're all monsters here. The Hunger Gaes is basically just a pagent to see who is the biggest and the baddest, but among all these monsters there are innocent angels who don't have a chance.

Ah well, why fly with angel wings, when you can enjoy the heat of hell.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Sorry for the short Chapter guys, I just wanted to do that chapter for fun, I promise chapter 13 will be longer. Oh and if I don't get at least four good reviews, Sugar get's it. Ya hear?**_

**Chapter 12**

**Now That's Irony**

Dead silence fell upon the arena.

No one has died in two days, I'm not sure what's happening, but whatever it is, it's entertaining the capitol. Well one thing is for sure, it isn't us. We've done nothing but sit around for two days.

"Okay, we need to do something." Says Sugar.

"Just be thankful another mutt hasn't come along." Says Michael.

"That would actually be better than this boredom." Says Gintare.

"What do you think is keeping the capitol so entertained?" I ask.

"I don't know, probably some stupid alliance romance." Says Michael.

Sugar shudders, "Please don't bring that up." She says with a sigh.

"HELLO!" booms a voice from nowhere in particular.

"THERE ARE ONLY TEN OF YOU LEFT, SO WE HAVE AN IDEA!" booms the voice.

Oh god, what now.

"SEEING AS THE TRIBUTES FROM DISTRICT TEN HAVE GRABBED OUR ATTENTION AND THERE ARE TEN OF YOU LEFT, A LITTLE IRONY IS IN ORDER." Booms the voice with a magnetic excitement.

Whatever happens next is probably going to bite me and Sugar in the butt.

Out of nowhere green holograms burst out of the woods and towards us.

Shit.

That is ironic, the pretty holograms that got the capitols attention for us are now going to kill us.

Sugar goes invisible, the mutts lose focus on her and are now entirely focused on me.

"I hate you so much." I say.

"I know, but it's a lovable hate." Comes her voice from behind me.

I start running, the animals right on my heels. I throw a knife at one and it dims and disappears.

Well at least they _can_ die, unlike a certain bird I knew.

I give Gintare a look that says "_Help me or I swear I'll kill you myself._"

She grabs her trident and runs into action, she starts a fight with the grizzly bear.

Yep that's Gintare, just being a badass as usual.

Michael starts throwing knives too, one by one the animals are fading, but still chasing me. They may be dying but they're still out for my blood.

Wait.

They're out for _my _blood.

My scales appear and start to flip over like a wave across my body, I become the one person I know the mutts won't mess with.

Toby.

I grow taller, more muscular, my hair grows from my usual short dark brown, to the wavy blond of his. My shoulders grow broader. My eyes flash from the emerald green to his crimson red, somehow my clothes also morph to be what he was wearing when I killed him.

I stand there, being Toby.

The mutts stop in their tracks, confused. They were probably programed to kill me, not Toby.

The mutts just stop, and don't move.

I walk slowly through them amazed, it's like as long as I'm not here, they just freeze in time. I take out my knife and stab the polar bear. It shimmers and fades away.

"Wow." Says Michael.

"It's like pressing pause on them." Says Gintare.

We stab them all one by one and they all shimmer and fade.

"Well that was easy" I say.

A slow deliberate clapping comes from behind us.

I know that gesture anywhere.

I turn around, to find eight Bekahs standing before us.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

**The Plan**

**B**ekah stood there, her stance threatening. As though she would pounce at us at any moment.

"Nervous Farmer-boy?" she says with an evil smirk.

"I can't lie, I'm slightly worried about how many of you there are around us." I say.

"You're just gonna have to find out for yourself." she says with a laugh.

Sugar appears behind and starts silently stalking up behind her, I have to keep Bekah distracted. If she turned around she'd kill Sugar. If Bekah were to die, that could get rid of what the the game makers thought was the "_biggest threat_"

"You know what I never understood?" I say.

"What would that be?" Says Bekah with a raise of her eyebrow.

Sugar was close now, only three or four feet away from Bekah, and she still had no clue. I bite my lip nervously, this can't go wrong. It just can't.

"Why you never just flooded the career camp with copies." I say like I was questioning her abilities.

She smiles and looks down laughing, her hair flows down infront of her face.

"Because, with every copy, the original gets weaker." She says.

"Oh? How so?" I ask, my brow full of sweat.

Sugar was right behind Bekah, knife poised and ready to strike down, but like me she was frozen, curious for the answer.

"Every time a copy is made the original's life force is used to make it, the original can only make about four copies a day. The original is severely drained after every copy." She says with a smirk.

That was good enough for me, and Sugar. Sugar strikes down on Bekah and there's a bright flash and Bekah's gone.

"Dammit, just a copy." Sugar says with gritted teeth.

"Well, at least it's one less to worry about." Says Gintare.

"Yeah, but there's probably tons more." Says Michael.

"That isn't fair though, she could just hide somewhere and make an army to win the games." I say pissed off.

"Calm down, we just need to think of a plan." Says Gintare. Her brain already working on a soloution.

We all stand still and silently, waiting for Gintare. She looks up at us and raises an eyebrow.

"Please, you're all putting way too many ideas forward." She says sarcastically.

I chuckle to myself, she was right, we were all depending on her to think of something.

"How about we infiltrate the hive first and get information?" says Michael.

We all stare at him.

"_Hive_?" I say.

"We don't know how many she's made and we've been in the arena for ages." He says.

He's right, we've been in the arena for two months, that's way longer than games usually last, and if Bekah has been making copies the whole time, she could have hundreds swarming around her, like she was the queen. _Just like a hive. _

"So, this is what we're gonna do." Says Gintare.

"Charlie and Sugar are going to infiltrate the hive undercover. Charlie will morph into Bekah and Sugar will follow him invisibly. They go into the hive, clear a path for Michael and I, then we all go to kill the queen." Gintare explains carefully.

"What about all the other copies?" Ask Sugar.

"Once the life source they all get their energy from is gone, I imagine that they'll all just disappear. If not, then they're not that hard to kill." Shrugs Gintare.

"Okay when do we start?" I ask

"Well, there's a pack of Bekahs running through the woods, I just saw through the girl from nine's eyes." She says with a grin.

I morph into Bekah, and tilt my head slightly.

"Let's do this." I exclaim.

So this is it, we have a plan.


End file.
